Police say vigilance best defense

By Bobby Horn Jr.
news@casscountynow.com

Atlanta police are urging residents to take a proactive stance in light of recent burglaries and acts of vandalism that have occurred in the area.
The most recent burglary involved a vehicle on June 6, in the 2000 block of Park Street.
A business was also burglarized sometime between 5 p.m. on June 3 and 8 a.m. June 4.
According to Atlanta police, a person or persons forced their way into Jaynes Farm and Feed Store, located at 202 Second Street. Property and cash was reported stolen.
“A small investment in security camera system would usually pay for itself,” the department advised on its Facebook site. “A person can buy a good quality surveillance system fairly cheap.” The department says that something as simple as a trail camera used by hunters can be a tool in identifying thieves.
Jaynes Farm and Feed is not the only business victimized recently. During the week before, windows were broken at Hibbitts Sporting Goods and Atlanta Guns and Ammo. On June 2 the department announced that an arrest had been made in conjunction with burglaries reported in the Laws Chapel and Shiloh areas.
Atlanta PD Chief Jay Womack said that the best course of action people can take is often the simplest. “Be aware of your surroundings, lock the doors on your house and on your car. Do not think, ‘it won’t happen to me.’ Most vehicle burglaries are ‘crimes of opportunity’ which translates into car doors are checked and if they are unlocked, then Bingo, the next victim.”
Local businesses may have also been surprised to find a note from the APD.
Officers have been conducting random patrols of businesses and other buildings during “off” hours such as evenings, nights and early morning hours. Businesses are then told whether they were “secure” or “unsecure” and the name of the officer who checked the building.